Mikael Sandblom’s work is based on extensive observations of clouds and waves. Rather than a literal depiction of these phenomena, the artwork represents the experience of sustained attention interwoven with a free-associative state of mind that is induced when you look at nature very carefully.
Contradictory geometries materialize and dissipate, while fragments of memory intermingle with imagined structures. The art pieces embody a form of dream logic, positioning the viewer as an active participant in the creative process.
Approach Sandblom’s artworks as you would observe clouds and waves outdoors. Allow yourself to become immersed in their geometric complexity, and remain attentive to the unexpected pathways your thoughts may explore.
Recent Work: Clouds
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Recent Work: Horizons
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Older Work: Phosphenes
My new work combines photography and digital illustration. The pieces are printed on photo paper and laminated between an aluminum dibond backing and 1/8″ acrylic. The images are based on my photos of clouds and waves. Outlines, tracings, maps and diagrams are layered over the photos in a way analogous to how we interpret, map and analyze our environment. Throughout the surface, fragments of images float into focus and then recede as the eye moves on to other elements.
The work reflects a world where nothing is solid or permanent. It’s our act of perception that brings elements into being and dissolves them again. What we see in the world is not what is ‘objectively’ out there; most of it is a projection of ideas that we’ve formed or learned.
For me, these pieces are an exercise in self-awareness of the assumptions and presuppositions that one inevitably carries around. It may be impossible to see the world as it truly and fully is, but it’s easy to fool oneself into thinking that you can.
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